Page 60 of Us Dark Few

Her muscles froze. Did someone find out about her training sessions with Takeshi? Was she being sent to the surface? No guard had ever pulled her out of her morning shift before.

She knew what to expect with ordinary. The same battles and obstacles lived in the ordinary. Ordinary was survivable. Terror existed in the unknown.

She nodded at the guard, feeling the need to swallow excessively, knowing she had no choice but to follow.He led her away from the tunnel, and Khalani glanced back at Derek, who stared at her with wide eyes.

“Where am I going?” she asked.

The young guard didn’t answer, and the silence suffocated the air around her. She didn’t have time to mentally dissect her thoughts as she followed the guard down the dimly lit, chilly halls.

Her stomach churned after they ascended a few levels in the elevator, and she was led to an obscure metal door.

The guard gave three hard knocks.

“Come in!” a man yelled from the other side in a hoarse voice.

The guard stepped to the side. “The Warden will see you now.”

Her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. She’d never met the Warden, the leader of Braderhelm Prison, before.

Shivers broke out over her body as she warily glanced at the young guard, but he refused to make eye contact. He clutched the gun to his chest and stood stiffly outside the door.

“Go on,” he commanded.

Breathe. Just breathe.

She closed her eyes and opened the door.

The loud creak announced her presence, and she entered an archaic room quadruple the size of her cold cell. Sparks from a fireplace flamed out as a heavyset man in a worn suit sat next to the fire.

The Warden had a black handlebar mustache and well-groomed hair slicked back with gel. He peered up from the electric pad upon her entrance. “Ah, 317. Do come in.”

Khalani took a tentative step forward and jumped as the guard slammed the door shut behind her, leaving her and the Warden alone.

Khalani glanced around cautiously, searching for any weapons she could use. There were none—not even a pen. The dimly lit room contained only a black marble desk, a golden rug spread out in the center of the floor, a dark mahogany cabinet, and two weathered chairs next to the large fireplace.

“It’s just you and me, 317. Please, have a seat.” The Warden gestured to the identical red chair across from him.

Khalani played with her fingers as she stepped closer. The Warden set the pad down, studying her closely. His elbows were perched on the armrest and his hands steepled in front of his face as she sat down.

She picked at the fabric of her uniform as he surveyed her, wanting to make a run for it. She waited for him to speak, bracing herself for the bad news. That was how Khalani mentally prepared for things, expecting the worst outcome.

“How has Braderhelm treated you so far?” the Warden asked after a beat of silence.

Her brows furrowed at the question. His calm pleasantry made her pulse quicken, like she was being lured into a carefully set trap.

“Um, very nice, sir.” Khalani swallowed.

He chuckled behind his hands and said, “I recommend not lying.”

Sweat beaded on her forehead, and she shifted uncomfortably. She didn’t relish how his sharp eyes glinted at her like he was subtly boxing her in a cage, searching for answers to unasked questions. Mountains of secrets lay hidden beneath his eyes. And she was privy to none of them.

“It could use more color.” Her heart raced like she was treading over a field of thick, razor-sharp needles.

The Warden tilted his head, one hand resting over his face, partially concealing his expression. “You think Apollo is a colorful place?”

“It’s all I’ve ever known.” She wrung her fingers together.

“Your family was never rich enough to be granted a day pass to Genesis.”

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